Solid show. Seemed the boys always dropped a great on in the New Year's run. Just usually not the New Year's show :) While there were some flashes of brilliance after 1991, I only caught one or two post-91 shows that were good from start to finish. But no matter the year, . Whether a '74 show during [very] high school, a '76 to '80 show in college, or any year up to the sad and bitter end, they always were who we thought they were- -not just the best at what they did, but the only ones that did what they did.

I have to believe 12-28-91 is one of the last hands-down great shows the band ever threw down-- and I just gotta rave about it. I notice the only nit-picky "yeah, but" musical comments come from IA reviewers who clearly were not fortunate enough to be in the house that night, so let me flesh it out a bit. "It" being an amazing evening that even a musical bump or two here and there can't diminish.

The Saturday Night opener was a heavenly sign that it wasn't just going to be just one more-- and the transition halfway through the song to (a high-octane killer) "Jackstraw", raggedly weird, a function of the tempo and key changes, showed the band was putting some thought and extra effort into the evening's entertainment. And what did Bob "the more we plan, the more we mess up" Weir do next? He blew his "Hurts my ears/burns my eyes" lyric, only to finally find his voice with "Might as well be me". The place was howling at him with (loving) glee, and Jerry later stuck it to Bob with "Uncle John's Band" (the starting point of the real second set magic and madness). The crowd was screaming and pointing at the Bobster when the UJB "How does the song go" lyric arrived -- and Bob hung his head in exaggerated, semi-mock shame.

It was priceless. As was the band organically arriving at "The Same Thing". There was a handful of there-from-the-beginning, David Crosby-lookalike old hippie types at the rail, doing mad five-foot vertical leaps and fist pumps at hearing TST again, but most of us just sat there clueless, mouths agape and completely spellbound, as the 20K seat Coliseum Arena shrank to a smoky little blues club and the band got down and dirty. Jerry's SOTM "Be with yous" were spine-tinglingly heart-felt and insane-- how could he wail like that, so high up? The easy-going but taut Throwing Stones was the perfect cool down follow-up, then...? "Saturday Night"? -- you could sense the momentary confusion throughout the crowd -- so much sh*t had gone down, we'd all forgotten -- the thought process was along the lines of WTF?-Huh?-Wait, didn't they play that?-Oh, oh, oh, man, they're picking it up in the middle and tying the whole night up with it! Oh-- OH!!! And the madness just grew and grew and grew and climbed the steps Duh-Duh-Duh-Duh-Duh BOOM! HEY ANOTHER SATURDAY NIGHT! The roof came OFF the place. People were losing it left and right -- minds were blown and the joy was everywhere, like it would be the following Spring at RFK with the return of "Casey Jones" and a year later at Compton Terrace with "Here Comes Sunshine"--and the cheering RAGED straight through to the band returning for the "U.S. Blues" encore. Jerry had a huge take that, critics, sh*t-eating grin on his face as he belted out the "Son of a gun, better change your act!" line. What else do you need? We just laid it down for you! Go home! You're welcome!

I said in the title that Jerry was dealing, and he was -- lyrical cards for a Saturday night game. Dire Wolf, Loser, Deal, Foolish Heart. His playing was screaming and swooping, hot and tasty, and he was in fine voice. Phil ROMPED (Minglewood!) all night long-- Vinny was rollicking and PERFECT (well, except for the extra "Wait until" oops in that hot "Deal") -- Mickey and Billy BANGED and DROVE IT (UJB!) -- and Bob was the glue and The Mad Santa -- HA! -- who came up with the Let's-wrap-up-this-Saturday-night-after-Christmas-gift-with-a-"Saturday Night"-bow idea. Man.

I love the "matrix" version here at IA, to my mind it best captures the whole feel, and I apologize for cross-posting this novel with too many CAPS!!! to all the versions, but I wanted to share the joy with everyone who stumbles onto any one of these fine recordings. It's truly a blessing to have been there, and another one to have the music to last until it's Black Muddy River time. Nit-pickers be gone!

12-28-91. To quote the raging football coach Dennis Green, listening to this show is proof that when it comes to the Grateful Dead, "THEY ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE!"

finally,it all comes together, rail ridin like a mofo me and my boy preacher and gumbo ya ya get the right mix, two for five beers in the lot, heady bowls from some kind friends and a magical four way hit, everything came on like gangbusters and jerry lifts us to another plane of being, one fully populated with flowers, caliopes and clowns, and oh hell yea, everybody is dancin their ass off. perfectly timed jam>drums>jam, everything a place and a place for everything, long live jerry and the boys and nights like these.

This is stronger than a rat sandwich. I used to have an tape of this first set from an old Dead Hour. It's as crunk as I remember it back in the day.

Let me start by saying I'm a big Vince fan. Love the strength of his keys, especially on Loser. He is most high w/ ballin' chord play and nice tweaker high notes.

Bobby dials up Cassidy and Jerry shines like the Northern Lights. Vince's backing vocals send shivers down my spinal tap as I swig back another Sammy Smith Tadcaster thick ale.

Then Jerome simply shreds the hell out of that Deal. I don't give a bakers fuck what anyone says about Vin-sanity that mofo could PLAY.

Keep this one crunk as a rare and different late 91 solo Vince jamstrosity. Mad probs to Dirty Dave Gans for hooking this one up on GD Hour back in the day. Oh by the way, from the sounds of this Foolish the second set cooks as well.

Sign the Mona Lisa with a spray can, call it art.

Seriously, who is doing the boardin' support for Jerry on Loser - simply Jams.

Utterly unobjectionable show from start to finish.
It is just.. all good. It is an average (of it's clime and time) performance and super slick sound which alleviate all fear of the unknown.

They try and fail to open with 1 Mor Sat Nyt and it morphs into Jack Straw almost unbeknownst. But they quickly settle down and deliver song after song in unaffected, disinfected demeanor. Dire Wolf is the prime example. Save for one slight verbal mishap Jerry delivers a passionate performance. This is not the Jerry Garcia of 1968 and Gibson SG gnat notes. This is a mature Garcia, a guitarist Garcia. So many holes are filled, but yet filled with a vapor so viscous it's blinding.

Every song is choice, well-played and in-check by the band... well, you knew by now merely but for something such as lighting cues the GD had to crank out professional and that's just what they did. It is evry single note immaculate. It is the personification of all your pet sounds so deftly drifted down upon us like drops of dew.

FoolishHeart>WomanSmarter>UJB>PITB>SameThing>drumz>
space>miracle>The Standing On The Moon is the equivalent to a mitigated Morning Dew. It is the most poignant moment captured so well. and the n throwin back into Sat Nyt. Epic, epic, epic.

With the way this show sounds with Vinnie's perfectly-copped Bruceian piano-sound (and why not copy that sound?) the GD rock on like maniacs stem to stern. every song = masterpiece.

Phil's bass is absolute perfection. You may singly listen to it, focus, and thus precisely engage every aspect of subtle and not so subtle nuances from the ensemble.

This show is another effortless beauty on their part 'cause they were so into this groove, y'know?

they come and they go
leaving just their picture behind

phils bass was recorded extremely well here
jerry is playing his butt off---listen to jack straw--
{factman must have been drunk when he wrote his review}
are you a music store nerd??

this kicks ass====
oh and the pitch bender----check out 4 7 95 corrina
listen to him now!

I was standing so close to the stage, I swear I felt a stray bit of saliva when Bobby belts out "JACK STRAW FROM WITCHITA SHOT HIS BUDDY DOWN!!!" The first set isn't as good as I remember, but the second set smokes. The whole bluesey jam that begats The Same Thing that goes into the Drums was worth the price of admission. The SOTM is as good as you've heard...Seriously. Foolish Heart too. What's that all about!?

always loved this version of SOTM. Good show overall. The OMSN>Jack straw is a mess, but have to give the boys "a's" for creativity. Never like the Same thing, never will. I prefer new years, but I am in the monority big time on that.

Try this Standing on for size.
The style of playing 'auggie' refers to at this show isn't necessarily a style per se, but a new toy Jerry broke out at this run. It's known as a pitch-bender, I think. It's a floor pedal, but with a swivel-pedal, like a wah-wah. Jerry was goofing around with it so much during Jack Straw, it sounds like he's drunk.
I guess December in Oakland was Christmas toy time, what with the pitch-bender at this show and the teleprompters in 1994, and January/February in Oakland was New Year/new song/song revival time.
If someone on here has already made note of the pitch-bender somewhere else, I apologize.
Incidentally, the pitch-bender should not be confused with the wacky Star-Trek-like effect Jerry had in the summer of 1995.
5 stars for a top-notch show full, I mean FULL, of Phil's bass. Crazy interplay between Phil and Jerry on Peggy-O. Outstanding!
Check back in on 6-7-91's SOTM after this. Stop by at 3-10-93 on the way there.

From the 1 more Sat opener to the tight playing leading into the sweet and unexpected Same Thing this show was hot. Strong finish with the 1 more sat sandwich to compliment the strong Standing on the Moon

I recall this show so clearly, we all drove to the colliseum and were stoked for day two of our 4 day run, especially after the goodness of the 27th, which by the way had a really nice clean rocking feel. The usual vibe of a good new years run was in full effect. I remember in one of the mens bathrooms on new years day, there was a big posterboard analyzing the run of shows asking which show was the best, the 27th mentioning Mickey the Monster for the drums and playin->samething interlude on the 28th...This show was one of my favorites because coincidentally (or not), I was listening to the New years 71 show which I believe was the last same thing before this show in my bus on the way over to the show. Overall the music was in more of an exploratory mode rather than outright jamming. Although I must admit the highlight of the show for me was the Standing on the Moon, with Jerry solo singing "Be with you, be with you, I'de rather be with you" basking in a indigo blue spotlight like some psychodelic preacher man. That moment is indellibly woven into the fabric of my soul, captivating and remarkable. The intensity of the show was tangible though and when the encore was over and I went out to the lot, there was about 4 inches of rain standing in the lot and it was pouring with the same intensity of the music of that show, The Same Thing. That's my recollection...memorable.

I have always liked this one especially the way Phil and the drummers tom toms are out front in the sound. Overall the sound is not as crisp as I would like but still above average.

Jerry really has an interesting sound in this show, less picking and more bluesy bending of notes especially on Jack Straw & Foolish Heart. No wonder they broke out The Same Thing this evening. Interesting as said before.

Not a stellar show, but there are some moments worth a listen. The first set isn't so great, but the OMSN opener is a bit oddly placed.

The second has all the highlights. Foolish Heart is real nice. A standard but good Uncle John's->Playing precedes a totally out-of-left-field Same Thing. Talk about an oldie...

Jerry belts out a nice Standing on the Moon, and they suprise again with a Throwing Stones->OMSN Reprise to close.